India approves flex-fuel rules for cars running on up to 100% ethanol

India’s government issued a notification revising the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to include ethanol blends up to 100% (E100) as an approved fuel for flex-fuel cars. The amendment places E100 alongside the previously permitted E85, but both are restricted to vehicles that have been engineered and certified for those blends. Cars running on conventional petrol or lower-ethanol mixes such as E20 cannot use E85 or E100, and current owners are not mandated to retrofit their vehicles now or in the future.

Authorities cited examples from Brazil and the United States where flex-fuel technology is already in use. They also noted that ethanol’s lower fossil carbon footprint can cut tailpipe carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions while decreasing reliance on imported crude oil. The regulatory shift comes just months before several manufacturers plan to launch their E100 models.